Ida Goes Mad

Joe (George Raft) and Paul Fabrini (Humphrey Bogart) are trying to beat the odds by running their own trucking service.  With their one truck, They Drive by Night (1940) moving produce from one city to another. It's an exhausting and dangerous job, as they try to acquire enough money to pay off their truck and build a successful business.

This is a well-acted film with an engaging storyline that will keep you interested throughout.  It's got an impressive cast, but frankly, it's Ida Lupino (Lana Carlsen) who steals the entire film.  More on her later.

George Raft is convincing as the determined trucker who's trying to beat the odds in building his own business. While I'm generally not a fan of Mr. Raft, he does a good job in this film, primarily because of the actors he plays against. Raft and Humphrey Bogart make convincing brothers; there is a subtle intimacy between the two. While we witness the strain between the brothers - Paul wants to be home more with his wife, while Joe is convinced they can beat the system - there is affection and understanding too.

Humphrey Bogart's role in the film is relatively small. As Joe's brother, he is constantly complaining about the stress of their work and his ongoing reluctance to leave his wife alone yet again.  Gale Page (Pearl Fabrini) is in much the same situation - she's there to represent the wives who fear for their husbands' safety. She's a much better actress than the whining Pearl allows her to be.

Alan Hale (Ed Carlsen) fairs much better as the jovial, if hard drinking, owner of a major trucking company.  Ed came up through the ranks and built a thriving business.  He's a loyal friend, who's been trying to convince Joe to join his company. The fly in the ointment is Ed's wife Lana - unbeknownst to Ed, Lana has been pursuing Joe, who is having none of it.  Mr. Hale is awfully good in the part, and his loss is felt.

Ann Sheridan (Cassie Hartley) gets to wisecrack in her early scenes in the film but as she becomes more involved with Joe, she becomes more subdued.  By the end, we know who is going to be in charge in their marriage; Cassie is a strong and loyal woman who will always support her man. We particularly enjoyed the scene when Joe collapses on her bed in exhaustion, and Cassie spends the night on the sofa.

It was George Raft who recommended Ida Lupino for the role of Lana (TCM article), and as we mentioned previously, she steals the film.  She's crafty and scheming; disgusted by her husband but eager to spend his money. She dominates every scene in which she appears, but it is the last part of the picture where she rules. Her desire to get Joe into her bed, her growing guilt over her husband's death, and her resentment of Cassie all lead to a perfect storm in the film's conclusion. 

They Drive by Night is also blessed with a number of Warner Brothers contract players, including Roscoe Karns (as pinball addict Irish McGurn), George Tobias (as fruit seller George Rondolos), and William Bendix (as another truck driver).  All combine to make a very well-rounded film.

The story is loosely based on the 1935 film Bordertown (AFI Catalog).  It was aired by Lux Radio Theatre  in June of 1941 with George Raft, Lana Turner, and Lucille Ball.

New York Times review by Bosley Crowther was positive, calling it "an entertaining ride".  We concur; if you are a fan of Ms. Lupino, you must see this. And if not, there is still plenty of good acting to catch your eye. We'll leave you with the film's trailer:

Ida Sings

Petey Brown (Ida Lupino) is moderately successful as a torch singer in a New York club, but it is nearing Christmas and Petey misses her sisters and brother in California. She arrives on the West Coast to find her brother Joey (Warren Douglas) working for nightclub owner Nicky Toresca (Robert Alda); sister Sally Otis (Andrea King) dealing with her husband Roy’s (John Ridgely) post-war mental issues; and sister Virginia (Martha Vickers) avoiding the world. Petey decides she better stay to set things in order. Our film this week is The Man I Love (1947).

While there is nothing extraordinarily unique about the story, this is a fantastic film, with an exceptional cast. The focal point is the always stunning Ida Lupino as a determined and strong woman. Even when we think she is weakening, Petey bounces back and dominates every scene and the situation.  She is supportive of her sisters and brother, and glides in and out of their lives like the hero in a western - she stays while they need her, then rides off into the sunset! Ms. Lupino was not the first choice for Petey; Warner’s purchased it with Ann Sheridan in mind (AFI catalog). Peg LaCentra provided Ms. Lupino's singing voice in this film, though later (in Road House), she did her own singing (Ida Lupino, Director: Her Art and Resilience in Times of Transition by Therese Grisham and Julie Grossman).

Also providing a noteworthy performance is Robert Alda. A highly-regarded singer, Mr. Alda - the original Nathan Detroit on Broadway, (and the father of actor Alan Alda) - does not sing here. As Nicky Toresca, he is as far from the boy singer as you can get.  Nicky is sleazy - first he is on the prowl for Sally Otis, then Petey, and eventually Sally’s neighbor Gloria O'Connor (Dorothy Moran).  Mr. Alda bring a smoothness tinged with menace to Toresca.  It’s clear he is interested in Petey primarily because she is not interested in him, making the character all the more perverse. Like Ms. Lupino, Mr. Alda wasn’t even the first choice for the role - originally it was intended for Humphrey Bogart; later Jack Carson was scheduled to do it (Music in the Shadows: Noir Musical Films by Sheri Chinen Biesen). 

Bruce Bennett (San Thomas) spends much of his time in his films being a forlorn and moody victim (for example, his turn as Bert Pierce in Mildred Pierce), but it works in this film. San spends much of The Man I Love pining for his ex-wife; the audience gets to shake their respective heads at his denseness. Why on earth is he still mourning this feckless woman when he has the magnificent Ida waiting for him? However, faced with Petey's determination, the viewer is left with the feeling that San will be getting over his past in time. Dane Clark was also considered for the role; he surely would have brought an entirely different vibe to the character.

The film is blessed with an excellent supporting cast: Andrea King's almost matches Petey with her strength of character. Faced with a husband who has been hospitalized following his service in the Army, she is forced to work to support her young son, as well as deal with a husband whose illness causes him to expresses his hatred for her when she is able to visit. Dorothy Moran as the next-door neighbor with a husband, twin babies, and a penchant for the night life that husband Johnny (Don McGuire) can't afford, is convincing as a lady with more than housework on her mind. The few brief scenes in which Alan Hale appears are always a pleasure. As Riley, Toresca's good natured assistant, he brings a bit of comic relief to the proceeding. Both Craig Stevens (Johnson) and Florence Bates (Mrs. Thorpe) have minor parts - blink and you will miss them. Also worth noting are the beautiful gowns that were designed by Milo Anderson, one of which was so tight, Mr. Lupino had to be literally cut out of it (see below).

Ms. Lupino became ill during the filming, at one point fainting during a scene (partially caused by the tightness of her dress) - Mr. Alda caught her before she hit the ground. (Ida Lupino: A Biography by William Donati). As a result of her illness, the film ran 19 days overtime and $100,000 over budget (TCM article). It did earn a profit, however, and came in at number 71 on the year's list of top grossing movies (Ultimate Movie Rankings).

Based on the 1942 novel Night Shift by Maritta Wolff, Bosley Crowther's New York Times review of The Man I Love was not all that complementary, but it seemingly didn't hurt the movie.  Frequently cited as a film noir, Eddie Muller in a 2017 "Noir or Not" segment said it was not noir because "the protagonist (Petey) is not flawed". His book Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir goes into detail on Ms. Lupino's career both inside and outside of noir. 

We'll leave you with a trailer and the suggestion you keep your eyes peeled for this one:

Ida and Her Sisters

Ellen Creed (Ida Lupino) works as a companion to Leonora Fiske (Isobel Elsom), a retired actress with savings that will keep her living comfortably for the rest of her life. Ellen works to support her two sisters, Emily (Elsa Lanchester) and Louisa (Edith Barrett) in London. The sisters, however, are somewhat odd in their habits, and their landlady has demanded that Ellen remove them from her boarding house immediately. In desperation, Ellen asks Miss Fiske if the sisters can visit with her at Miss Fiske's house for a short time. But when the short time extends to six months, Miss Fiske has had it.  Our film this week is Ladies in Retirement (1941)


A melodrama very much in the vein of Night Must Fall (1937), the film's power is driven primarily by the performance of Ida Lupino. Playing a woman who should be much older her 23 years  (TCM article). Ms. Lupino gives the character grit, and emphasizes that this is a woman who feels overwhelmed by circumstances. Clearly, Ellen is the breadwinner for the family. She's tried leaving her sisters on their own. She's exhausted her last chance of supporting them from afar - their landlady has threatened to have them institutionalized. Ellen's desperation is evident as she tries to keep Louisa and Emily with her. But the two women, one a temperamental hoarder and the other a grown child, are not controllable, even with Ellen there. Keeping them at Miss Fiske's abode is her last chance to protect them, but their continued antics make this impossible. Ms. Lupino would later list it as one of her favorite film roles (TCM Notes).

Louis Hayward (Albert Feather) was married to Ms. Lupino at the time this film was made. He's good as the shady Albert; he makes the character even likeable at times, though one is always suspicious of his motives.  Mr, Hayward started his career on the London stage, a protege of Noel Coward. In 1935, he did a Broadway play; this led to his first film role, The Flame Within (1935). He was cast as the first Simon Templar in The Saint in New York (1938), but is probably best remembered for his performance in The Man in the Iron Mask (1939). When World War II broke out in the U.S., he joined the Marines, commanding a photographic unit and eventually producing the Oscar winning short With the Marines at Tarawa (1944). He returned from the war severely depressed, which caused the breakup of his marriage to Ms. Lupino (Ida Lupino: A Biography by William Donati). He would marry twice more, the third producing his only child. His career continued, in both film and television until 1974. In 1985, he died of lung cancer (he'd smoked four packs a day for 50 years), at the age of 75.

Emily  and Louisa are well acted by Ms. Lanchester and Ms. Barrett - they give the characters just the right amount of insanity, so that, for awhile, you are able to sympathize with them and with Ellen. Rosalind Russell had expressed interest in playing one of the parts. Also in consideration for the sisters were Lillian Gish, Judith Anderson, Pauline Lord, Laurette Taylor and Helen Chandler (AFI Catalog). 

Evelyn Keyes does a reasonably good job as Lucy, the housemaid (in fairness, it's not a great part). She spends most of her scenes with Mr. Hayward, and he steals all the audience's attention. As I said, he's quite the rogue. 
  Based on a 1940 Broadway play (which ran for 151 performances) the screenplay was written by Garrett Fort and Reginald Denham, based on Mr. Denham's script with Edward Percy. The play starred Flora Robson as Ellen, Estelle Winwood as Louisa, and Isobel Elsom who reprises her role of Miss Fiske in this movie.

It's not surprising that the film received two  received two Oscar nominations - for Black & White Art  Direction (Lionel Banks and George Montgomery) and for Score (Morris Stoloff and Ernst Toch). Though we know that the film was shot on a backlot, the film gives the feeling of the moodiness of the moors, and is reminiscent of atmospheric Wuthering Heights. The score also makes interesting use of the music from The Mikado; of course, it is a comedy, but it is the story of Ko-Ko, a man forced to become the Lord High Executioner of Titipu. The film got other awards:  Isobel Elsom received the Best Acting nod from the National Board of Review (NBR); Ida Lupino received a joint Best Acting Award from NBR - for this film and for High Sierra.

New York Times review was positive calling Ladies in Retirement "painstakingly done, beautifully photographed and tautly played."  The story been redone several times. In September 1943, Lux Radio Theatre presented Brian Aherne and Louise Barrett.  Robert Montgomery Presents (1951) had Lillian Gish and Una O'Connor in a television broadcast. 1954 saw a version with Edith Barrett, Elsa Lanchester & Claire Trevor as part of the Lux Video Theatre. The film was remade as The Mad Room (1969) with Shelley Winters and Stella Stevens. 

While our group had some mixed feelings about the film (one member said she found it sometimes frustrating), the consensus was that it's certainly a film worth watching.  If you like melodramas, this one is for you.

Fay Heads the Mob

Lila Thorne (Ida Lupino) has just become engaged to Fred Leonard (Lee Bowman); Fred is eager for Lila to meet his mother, Hattie (Fay Bainter). So off Lila goes to Maclin City, where she tries to get in Hattie's good graces - not an easy task. Turns out, Hattie's already chased away at least one of Fred's girlfriends. In the midst of this, Hattie discovers that the local dry cleaner, Mr. Zambrogio (Henry Armetta) has been forced to raise his prices - a protection racket is bleeding him for large amounts of money. Incensed when she discovers the mayor will do nothing about about it, Hattie decides to hire her own mob to deal with the gangsters. This week, we'll discuss The Lady and the Mob (1939) and its star. 

As part of the What a Character! blogathon, we're focusing our attention on the wonderful character actress Fay Bainter It's not often that Ms. Bainter gets to lead a film, but when she does, it's always a pleasure. She takes an okay script and an average part, and gives the audience a decidedly better experience. Sure, this film is a B movie, but in Ms. Bainter's hands, you really don't care - she's that good. She's funny and wry - even when she is being tyrannical towards Ida Lupino, you are amused by her. And when she decides that it is up to her to solve the crime problem in Maclin City because the authorities won't, watch out! She's a force to be reckoned with. Ms. Bainter was not the first choice for the role - the studio originally wanted Edna May Oliver (AFI catalog) - interesting choices that would have given two very distinct performances.

Fay Bainter started her stage career on the West Coast, working in traveling companies. By 1912, however, she'd come to Broadway - between 1912 and 1949, she appeared in 26 plays including Dodsworth (1934) (as Fran - the part would go to Ruth Chatterton on screen), She Stoops to Conquer (1928), and The Way of the World (1931). She started working in films in 1934. In 1938 she won a Supporting Actress Oscar (for her role as Bette Davis' aunt in Jezebel), and was nominated that same year for Best Actress (for White Banners), the first of only 9 people who have been given two nominations in the same year. She was also nominated for her role in The Children's Hour (1961). She segued into television in 1949, and worked in both mediums until her retirement in 1965. Her husband of 43 years died had died in 1964 (they had one son); Ms. Bainter died in 1968, at the age of 74.

Ida Lupino is very good in what is an extremely small part (Wendy Barrie was the first choice for the part). Ms. Lupino was still, at this point in her career, relatively unknown and relegated to secondary roles. But in December of 1939 (The Lady and the Mob was released in April), Ms. Lupino would finally get noticed, when she appears as the Cockney prostitute in The Light That Failed (TCM article). Ms. Lupino gives Lila gumption, which she needs when faced with the whirlwind that is Hattie. If there is a problem with the character, it is that one can't imagine Lila staying with a bore like Fred. 

Lee Bowman has very little to do, and his character is a bit of a dolt. He's obviously dominated by his mother - when Lila says "I hope you realize I'm not marrying your mother," Fred's response is "That's what you think". Mr. Bowman isn't present for over half of the movie, and when he does appear, he's pushed aside by Lila and Hattie. They have bigger fish to fry, and he is not part of the solution. Part of the fun of the film is watching the two women bond over Hattie's preoccupation with the crime wave.

The supporting characters are lots of fun, with Henry Armetta as a stereotyped Italian dry-cleaner; Warren Hymer (Frankie O'Fallon) stands out as the chief of Hattie's mob, but they are all amusing; their interplay with Ms. Bainter is excellent. George Meeker (playing George Watson) is the head gangster on the other side of the fence, and makes a nice contrast to Mr. Hymer. 

The film had several working titles: Mrs. Leonard Misbehaves; Old Mrs. Leonard and the Machine Guns; Old Mrs. Leonard and Her Machine Guns. Because of the gangster theme, they had issues with the Production Office. While this movie is not great literature, it's amusing and tidy (one fight scene goes on a bit too long, but otherwise it's a fairly neat presentation). It is certainly worth a viewing.

This post is part of the What a Character! blogathon, hosted by Once Upon a Screen. Please visit the other posts to learn about a variety of amazing character actors.

Ronald Paints His Masterpiece

Richard Heldar (Ronald Colman) returns from the Sudan with a scar from a head injury he received saving the life of his best friend Torp Torpenhow (Walter Huston) and images from his life in the military. Dick is a painter, and gains success back home translating those images into highly successful paintings. Torp, however, is disappointed that Dick's views idealize the war; Dick pragmatically points out that idealism sells. But then Dick gets an idea for a painting of a woman - a Melancholy, which he knows will be his masterpiece. Using a local street girl, Bessie Broke (Ida Lupino), as model, Dick works steadily on his canvas. But Dick is under time constraints - due to his injury, he is going blind, and only has a few months to work. The Light That Failed (1939) is our film this week.

This film is the third based on an 1891 novel by Rudyard Kipling. The first two, silent films from 1916 and 1923, ended differently than our film. Kipling's novel originally had a very dark ending. But, under pressure, Kipling gave it a happy one. It was this ending that was used by the silent films. Director William Wellman, however, was not going to go for the whitewashed version. He used the original story, with its grim, hopeless conclusion. Bear in mind that Wellman wanted to give his pre-code film Wild Boys of the Road a bleak ending, and was prevented from doing so by the studio. We wondered if perhaps the studio should have intervened again.

Mr. Colman, who is willing to make Richard a nasty individual when called to do so, was not Mr. Wellman's first choice - he wanted Gary Cooper for the role (AFI Catalog), following their work together in Beau Geste. Mr. Colman and Mr. Wellman did NOT get along. According to this TCM article, Mr. Colman wanted Vivien Leigh (who was in the midst of filming Gone with the Wind) for the role of Bessie. Wellman refused - he had auditioned Ms. Lupino and wanted her in the part. This resulted in some on-set verbal sparring (Ida Lupino: A Biography by William Donati) and Mr. Colman finishing the scene without incident.

Despite the fact that she was unwanted by Mr. Colman, Ida Lupino nearly steals the movie in her breakout role as Bessie. Bessie is a complex and interesting character, and Ms. Lupino makes the most of it. In her able hands, Bessie is both sympathetic and unlikable at the same time. Born in England to performers, Ms. Lupino began working in British films in 1931. After several years in Hollywood in which producers did not know what to do with her, Ms. Lupino became "the poor man's Bette Davis" (her description; LA Times) picking up serious parts Ms. Davis had rejected. Her work in our film resulted in her casting in They Drive By Night (1940), as the mentally unbalanced Lana Carlsen. In 1949, she directed her first film Not Wanted, when Elmer Clifton became ill and was unable to finish the project. She would continue acting and directing, in both film and television until 1978. Ms. Lupino married and divorced three times (to Louis Hayward, Collier Young, and Howard Duff. Her only child was the result of her marriage to Mr. Duff). One of my favorite imaginary images are the reported meetings of the Directors Guild of America; the meeting opened with the words "Gentlemen, and Miss Lupino" (San Francisco Chronicle). Ms. Lupino may not have been the first female director, but she surely paved the way for women directors today.

Muriel Angelus doesn't really impress as Maisie. Where we dearly want Maisie to be an independent career woman, she comes across as a petulant brat. She invites Dick to see her work. When he provides honest criticism - which she had asked of him - she pouts, all the while pointing out that when men have previously praised her work, they had different intentions in mind. Maisie claims to love Dick, but she seems inherently selfish. You begin to wonder what exactly Dick sees in her.

Walter Huston, who is always a pleasure to see in any film, makes Torp a layered character. It is he who finds Bessie, and while we're pretty sure he has ulterior motives in bringing her to his lodging, he ends up feeding her and letting her get some sleep. He is a support to Dick, as well as his sternest critic.

Attitudes towards disability have changed since Kipling's time, making this a difficult movie to watch. But with good performances, and an interesting discussion of art it is a worthwhile film. Just be prepared that you may not like the ending.  

Rita's a Spy!!!

This week, we visit one movie that was part of a greater series.  The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939) was just one in a series of films about reformed thief Michael Lanyard.  The series started in the silent era, and continued into the late 1940's.  Among the actors to play Lanyard were Melvyn Douglas, Francis Lederer, and Warren William, who plays Lanyard in our film - his first in a series of 9 films. 

The plot is somewhat convoluted.  Lanyard is being set up by a spy ring, led by Rita Hayworth (as Karen), who want to force him to steal government plans.  The delight here is less the plot and more the byplay between William and Ida Lupino (as Lanyard's love interest Val Carson) and between William and Virginia Weidler (as Lanyard's daughter Patricia - the only Lone Wolf movie in which he HAS a daughter).  

The two women are a riot. Val stalks Michael, trying to get him to make more an emotional commitment to her. At the same time, he is dealing with his rather precocious child. A would-be detective herself, she is thrilled to receive a gift of handcuffs (which she uses to force their butler, Jameson (Leonard Carey) to actually "die" when she "shoots" him).

You may not remember the actual plot of this film, but you will laugh a lot.

Olivia Writes a Novel

This week, we were able to watch Devotion, wherein Olivia plays Charlotte Bronte, and gets to write the novel Jane Eyre. Again, Ms. De Havilland plays second lead, this time to Ida Lupino, who is playing her sister Emily. Ms. Lupino has the meatier role, as the tortured, dying Charlotte, but Ms. De Havilland ends up with more screen time (and more to do than just be tortured).  Her Charlotte harkens back to some of the earlier teen roles we've seen, such as Call it a Day and It's Love I'm After, where she gets to fall in love with a man who is already taken (and be a tad silly about it). However, this is no screwball story.  Because in the end, both sisters end up in love with the same man - Paul Henreid as the Reverend Arthur Nicholls. And he is oblivious to one of them.

As history, this film rather plays fast and loose.  Yes, Bramwell (Arthur Kennedy) was an alcoholic, and yes, Emily did die of TB.  But so did Anne Bronte (played by Nancy Coleman) and you wouldn't know it from this movie. In fact, Anne died about 6 months after Emily.  Charlotte did go to London, but after Emily's and Anne's deaths.  And Charlotte's marriage to Arthur Nicholls was no happy ending.  Her father was totally against the marriage, because he feared that marriage would kill his only surviving child (of the 6 born to him). He was right. Charlotte became pregnant; she and the baby died, probably the result of hyperemesis gravidarum, or excessive morning sickness resulting in malnutrition.  Another point, the sisters were all very small and probably slender - at an exhibit of their books and item at the Morgan Library in New York City, I saw one of Emily's gloves. It was TINY. I have VERY small hands - the glove would not have fit me. None of these ladies is in the least bit tiny or frail-looking!! A couple of items that they did get right though, were rather fun. The sisters three books (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey) did come out together (in fact Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey were published in the same three volume set). The other little piece that we enjoyed was that, when Charlotte visits Arthur Nicholls to give him a copy of her novel, she is holding three books. Indeed, Jane Eyre was published (as many novels were at the time - to accommodate lending libraries) in a three-volume set!

Like many historical films that play a little to fast and loose, this can be a problematic movie, but the acting is wonderful. We have some lovely character pieces here, especially Sydney Greenstreet as William Makepeace Thackeray, who manages to portray Thackeray as an adorable egoist!  Also fun to watch is Odette Myrtil as Mme Heger, who reminded us very much of Peggy Wood as the patient wife of the artist in Call it a Day.

We hope to see you again next week.  In the meantime, here's a trailer from the film:

Buster Crabbe goes PreCode

Search for Beauty is the final entry in the Pre-Code Hollywood DVD set, and what a hoot. Buster Crabbe (of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers fame) plays an Olympic swimmer who becomes an editor for a health magazine, only to discover the owners are interested in a sex magazine. One interesting point is that the movie opens at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, showing Crabbe's character, Don Jackson, winning the gold medal in the 400 meter swim meet - the event for which Crabbe actually won his gold medal. His best girl is played by Ida Lupino (appearing as a platinum blonde!). Both are hired by the magazine to give it credibility, while the publishers fill the rag with salacious pictures and stories.

There is lots of innuendo here; there are also male and female swimmers in showers; beauties in bathing suits and tight training outfits; ladies dancing on table tops in lingerie.  In this musical number, you can get a glimpse of some of the milder aspects of the movie:


But parts of the movie are even a bit racier:  there are also naked male bottoms. Early in the film, we venture into the locker room at the Olympics, to witness several young men running to showers bare bottomed. 

We found the combination of Buster Crabbe, as our upright hero, and Robert Armstrong, as our loose-moraled publisher (his character, Larry Williams, just got out of jail as a result of selling non-existent oil wells) amusing. And, of course, it is never hard to have James Gleason in a movie, even when his character is not quite on the right side of the moral.

Finally, do watch to see the scene in which Ida Lupino listens to two female writers relating the sensational stories they have written for the magazine. These two look like they should be teaching Latin, not writing salacious stories!

Next week, we start Forbidden Hollywood, 3